Tokens of respect.

[Cate]

I am writing the fluff for my Imperial guard regiment , I am also painting up the models. Anyhow! As primary a Wolf player, my guard regiment has fought side by side with my specific great company. If a guard regiment has earned the respect from a wolf lord and the lord wanted to give as a token of respect, what would you think he would give to that regiment. A personal wolf pelt would probably be a gift of some great respect, like the regiment bringing back the hull of a vehicle or one of the ancients or even the bodies of several of his pack.

 

What other stuff could a wolf lord hand over as gifts as token of respect, and what would ordinary humans have to do to earn the respect of a wolf lord so he would vow oaths of respect or even oaths of friendship?

 

/C 

[Stormborn]

I guess the obvious answer would be wolf tails, teath or pelt which you can add to the company banner.  A weapon from the Wolf Lord's personal collection or a trophy from his trophy room (skull, bones or helmet), allowing the guard's to use Fenrisian runes or the great company symbol in their heraldry.  Personally i like the idea of a wolf pelt and head used as the comapny banner and maybe give some of your command squad or sergeants wolf tail or teath fascinators or a space wolfed bolt pistol/chainsword.

 

I would imagine that to earn respect from a Wolf Lord the guard would need to show significant or even insane levels of courage, maybe sacrificing themsleves to save a rune preist, wolf lord or dreadnought from death or destruction at the hands of a dreadnought, daemon prince or monstorous creaturee by throwing themsleves in its path (or maybe protect the SW booze supply).  Even then I only see the Wolf Lord give them a grunt of acknowledgement as I just don't see Space Marines even the Sons of Russ or Vulcan really noticing common guard troops actions as special.

 

A successful forlorn hope might be the way to go.  The Wolf Lord, Wolf Guard, Rune Priest & Wolf Priest have turned up to tell the guard what they are going to do in the coming attack just in time to watch the guard storm a breach and sweep into a fortress capturing it and giving the imperial forces a beach head that they can build on. 

 

Or the guard landing goes off course and they end up behind enemy lines allowing the space wolves to crush the badies against the guards anvil.

 

Might be an idea to look at some military history books from the Pennisula War, WW1 or WW2 and borrow the exploits of a real life regiment (any Scottish, Maori or Ghurka regiment should have plenty of daring exploits or the Airbourne Rangers at Normandy or British Glider Troops at Pegasus Bridge or Arnhem)   

[Grimtooth]

If we look at Battle of the Fang, just getting to fight alongside the VIth was a huge honor. And the Wolves were noted as going out of their way to save the humans, even sacrificing themselves at times. However, no matter how mich they sacrificed in Battle of the Fang, it is mentioned that not a single one of their names would be remembered.

 

So it would have to be something so extraordinary that in all likelihood they would not have survived said experience. The other option to wolf out you Guard would be to just classify them as Aettguard.

[Cate]

I agree with you Brother Ramses, and the fluff as far as I have written it is that maybe around 50 guard out of 12 full regiments have survived a joint battle with the Wolves who have taken a very bad beating too. One of the guards killed the opponent which in its turn just had slayed a wolf lord and keeping their geneseed safe. The fluff is set in M38 not M40 so I can have other wolf lords than the codex. As a token of respect the regiment has the right to hang a trinket or something similar on one of their regimental banners in recognition of this deed. Nothing for the individual guardsman, they get other ribbons, medals and other trinkets for surviving. I have the feeling that a wolf lord can recognize exceptional humans for exceptional deeds, even though non of the Aettguard got the recognition after they defended their home.

 

If for example Bjorn was stranded on a battlefield, so damaged he had no way to contact the wolves by himself, and a regiment went out of their way to bring him back to the wolves, or if a regiment an iconic symbol for the wolves thought to be lost for ever, I am pretty sure that the wolves would show their gratitude in some way. The wolves have has sworn oaths, allegiance  fought side by side with thousands of regiments during the last 10 000 years and they almost started a war with the Inquisition, because they wanted some humans to be safe from being sterilized and mind scrubbed. So a simple trinket or some other thing for a regiment is not that far fetched. I also think the wolves would recognize a iconic person like Commissar Yarrik who both fought and survived an individual fight with a Warboss like Ghazghkull and also organizing the defense of Armageddon, and not blow him of as an ordinary human who they would not have any respect for.

 

/C

[Schertenleib]

Cate, I think you have touched a point there.

 

The Wolves would remember the likes of Ollanius Pius, Solar Macharius, Commissar Yarrick or some other greatly notable personage that is revered and respected throughout the Imperium. But I think that the deeds of any guardsman no matter how great would simply be lost to time. Marines live for centuries the deeds of a guardsman or sergeant would be nothing more than fireflies against a night sky. I can see a single Marine seeing something…impressive, and tossing the man a small runestone or pulling a trophy from the field to give the man (skull, weapon, helmet, etc…). I know you youngsters might not know what I'm talking about but this would be sort of like "Mean Joe Green" and the kid with the bottle of Coke. For anything to really be remembered by the Vlka Fenryka I think it would need to be Regimental in note. The Regiment of X did something massively important and out of respect the Regiment was given a pelt or tail to be added to the Regimental colors. Two hundred years later the men that won this honor would be nothing but dust, but a Marine seeing the pelt on the colors would think back to that memorable fight and think a little more kindly on this Regiment because of the valor of their forbears.

[Token]

My what?

Kidding.

[Max_Dammit]

I see giving a token to a guard regiment that has proven itself on the field of battle as something the wolves would do. A tooth or claw, ar runic charm, they have there armour is full of them and its easy to pluck one off and give to a mere human that has earned your respect.